PHILADELPHIA – A substantial segment of Temple basketball observers had mixed feelings about the hiring of Fran Dunphy three years ago to replace John Chaney, this corner included.

Dunphy had spent his entire head coaching career directing Ivy League basketball, some of the best, most interesting basketball anywhere in the college level. He had been extremely successful at his level.

But he was a subtle, ascerbic guy with an outwardly controlled demeanor following the act of a boisterous, purposely profane walking laugh track.

You just wondered how he would follow the act. Could he recruit a different breed of athlete with a bunch of guys he pulled over from Penn? Could he adapt to the sensibilities on the other side of town? It was just a strange juxtaposition from one man and program to the other.

Well, those concerns have proved baseless, haven't they? After two rather unexpected NCAA bids in a row, Dunphy's Owls yesterday did something a pretty hefty line of prior opponents could not do to the No. 3-ranked Villanova Wildcats. They beat them.

In an exciting, cleanly played back-and-forth contest, Dunphy's Owls retrieved a 14-point deficit, clawed back in the game just before halftime with the attentive defense and board work of Lavoy Allen and finally rode the shooting wave of Ryan Brooks and Argentinian import Juan Fernandez to a 75-65 win.

Fernandez, perhaps unfairly compared to previous Argentine Owl Pepe Sanchez, had a day of marksmanship he'll remember the rest of his life, knocking in 11 of 15 shots, 7-of-9 on threes, for 33 points. Whenever the Owls seemed in danger of falling out of the game, he nailed a big shot, to the delight of 70 percent of a classic Philly mixed crowd at Temple's Liacouras Center.

“It's amazing to play in an arena like that,” said Fernandez. “I just tried to keep the nerves inside.

“When you're feeling good – I can't explain the feeling – you just throw it up there and it goes in.”

Brooks, not a great shooter but a big-time clutch scorer, made a couple of terrific shots that all but sealed the win in the final moments.

It's an impressive scalp that promises to well serve the Owls (8-2) when NCAA selection time rolls around.

And it was accomplished with a mental tensile strength that's becoming a trademark of what is not an overly talented Temple team. On two occasions it showed most brightly.

First, after the Owls fell behind 33-19 late in the first half and appeared in danger of being blown out of their own gym as 'Nova coach Jay Wright applied three-quarter-court pressure that yielded three straight run-outs by Scottie Reynolds (23 points, seven boards, three steals) and Corey Fisher (14 points, seven assists).

“We got down 14 and we're in big trouble,” said Dunphy who pointed to this juncture as vital. The coach had called back-to-back timeouts in the space of 11 seconds to address what he referred to as “some X-rated things going on. Juan, who is good with the ball, threw the ball to Villanova. We try not to do that around here.”

The Owls reeled the deficit back to 37-31 at intermission as Fernandez hit five points and dished out two assists on the final five possessions of the half. Then they blasted ahead after the break as Fernandez was joined by chunky Craig Williams with a pair of unexpected threes and Allen (17 rebounds) began to assert dominance over 'Nova's Antonio Pena inside.

Here arrived Temple's second mental toughness test. Villanova came at the Owls with a healthy arrogance that only an unbeaten Final Four team can. Fisher and Reynolds shifted into fifth gear and it was “Game on.” Fisher ripped through the block attempt of Williams on a fast-break runner that got the Wildcats (9-1) back within 63-61 at 4:30.

The Owls did not back down. They merely answered shot for shot. And when 'Nova missed, Allen was there to rip the defensive boards.

Fernandez bombed in his seventh three at 3:18. Finally, Brooks knocked in his two pressure shots – a nutty runner high off glass while crossing the lane, then a cross-over move on 'Nova rookie Dominic Cheek from out top that ended in a left-handed lay-in for 70-63 at 1:35.

Brooks finished with 20 points, five boards, three assists and no turnovers.

“It's a huge confidence booster,” said Brooks. “It shows what we're capable of in the future.

“Villanova is a such a high-profile team and they're a real gutsy team. You come out with a win over them, it shows a lot of promise.”

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